The all-new S-class, which hasn't even hit showrooms yet, has now been breathed upon by AMG. For the 2014 S63 AMG 4Matic, the shiny bits are mostly under the sedan's expansive hood. There lies a leviathan 5.5-liter direct-injected aluminum V8 with two snails blowing through an air-to-water intercooler. The engine puts 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque to the ground via a 7-speed automatic transmission and the standard all-wheel-drive system. The driveline puts 33% of the power to the front wheels, leaving the remaining 67% to be directed aft.

While the new S is bigger and even more luxurious than its predecessor, it's an astonishing 220 lbs lighter. Benz trimmed the fat by using tidbits like a lithium-ion starter battery, an aluminum body shell, and carbon ceramic brakes. An adjustable-height, adjustable-damping-rate air suspension with increased camber, stiffer anti-roll bars and a stiffer front subframe underpins the whole affair.

A good way to describe the S63 is to compare it to a classic monster movie. Contemporary splatter films (and sports sedans) reveal the monster in the earliest possible scene, from which it proceeds to eviscerate everyone but the hero. Old films reveal the monster slowly and artfully, gradually building up the terror. The big AMG-mutated Benz opens its film, so to speak, in Comfort mode with Eco engaged. Everything seems normal. Serene, even. But a faint growl implies something…darker. Click to Sport Mode and you glimpse a tail wagging around an abrupt corner. Switch to Manual, set the suspension to Sport and the movie reaches its final act. The monster reveals itself in technicolor glory.

All four tires claw at the ground, the Magic Body Control camera reads the road and adapts settings at crushing rates, and the engine roars, leaving the townspeople quaking in fear. The car rips off the 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.9 seconds, steering is exactly weighted, and the super Benz delivers more grip than a 4400-lb car has any business delivering. Trees blur, and the car inspires confidence in the corners.

With the S63 AMG, Mercedes-Benz dips its toe into the world of regular production carbon fiber. Of all the parts that could be CF, engineers chose the spare tire well. Why? It's out of sight, exposed to harsh conditions, stressed, and reduces the car's polar moment of inertia—a fancy way of saying it makes it easier to rotate around the center of gravity.

Much like all monster movies, the good guys eventually discover a lethal weakness. In the case of the S63 AMG 4Matic it's the price. At a $139,500 starting point, far too few will ever be able to afford a ticket (or the many tickets that will soon follow).

The new S-Class Benzes are exquisite pieces of work on their own; beautiful inside and out and comfortable to a sickening degree. More power, a better suspension, massive brakes and genuinely spectacular overall performance basically put the S63 AMG 4Matic in a class by itself. This is how all the high-end Q-ships should be built.

Subtlety is not just applicable in monster films, but it's the way to win buyers in this segment. From the second you notice the active side bolsters gripping your ribs on the outside corner, to the Affalterbach city crest embossed on the armrest, the attention to detail is ridiculous. It also goes blazing fast and inspires confidence in every corner. Not too many cars have ever managed to "Walk softly and carry a big stick" so perfectly.